After Pilanesberg, we drove back to Johannesburg and caught a South African Airways flight down to Cape Town. It was a 2-hour flight and we still got served a sandwich lunch.
Roundtrip flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg
2016 Price: R9,322 for three people (approx. $220 per person)
Cape Town
In Cape Town we used Booking.com to stay at a Cape Finest on Loader Street in the De Waterkant district. The staff there were very sweet and helpful. The apartment was modern and clean. We were able to walk to all the restaurants we visited as well as a grocery store.
Serviced Apartment
2016 Price: R8,250 (approx. $590) for a three-night stay
Cape Town Cuisine
The food in Cape Town was delicious. Our first night we grabbed groceries from the closest store and then walked over to the Vue Sky Bar for drinks and appetizers outside on the balcony overlooking the city. The Vue has spectacular views of Cape Town and the ocean as its name implies.
Every day we ate breakfast at The Village Café, which was on a corner a few blocks over. I had the gammon, Emmental cheese, and sweet mustard sandwich (ham and Swiss cheese) each time because they were so delectable. The café also has fresh juices which were fun to try.
I had the opportunity to taste Turkish cuisine for the first time at Anatoli Turkish Restaurant one night – the food and ambiance were great. It has since transitioned to a Mediterranean menu.
Boulders Beach
Our first full day in Cape Town we drove along the coastline. The first stop was Boulders Beach to see the African Penguins. It is strange to see penguins walking in sand. They are used to people and had a lot of attitude so they make for an interesting stop.
Boulders Beach
2019 Price: R152 per adult per day (approx. $11) for international visitors
Access is limited to a series of boardwalks. There were a lot of visitors when we went and it was often hard to find a spot on the railing to get a decent view. That is when you learn to politely say ‘excuse me’ and then shove your way through.
Cape of Good Hope
After Boulders, we continued on to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. You need to pay an entrance fee to get into this section of the park. Along the road in we stopped several times to take photos of the ocean. At one parking lot we ran into some baboons and decided it was time to continue on our way.
Cape of Good Hope
2019 Price: R303 per adult per day (approx. $21) for international visitors
Cape Point
To get to Cape Point, you take a funicular called the Flying Dutchman up the mountain. From there, if you want to go up to the lighthouse, you’ll have to climb some stairs. At the lighthouse there is a signpost with several large international cities on it and the distance in kilometers from Cape Point to those destinations.
Cape of Good Hope
After returning to our car we drove back down to the Cape of Good Hope. Along the road we saw a handful of ostriches eating and walking around.
The Cape of Good Hope is the most south-western point of the continent rather than southern-most point as is commonly believed. That honor goes to Cape Agulhas. The Cape of Good Hope is along a gorgeous blue coastline made more picturesque where people have stacked stones into towers in the sand.
There were a couple of tour buses when we were there and everyone was taking photos one at a time with the sign – so if that is on your selfie list, be prepared to wait.
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
Our last day in Cape Town we started at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. We walked around the area and took the pedestrian swing bridge. They had a sculpture of Hulk built out of recycled materials that was a fun addition. From there we visited the Castle of Good Hope, a historical Dutch East India Company fort. Areas of the fort were closed off or under construction while we were there so we were unable to see much of it.
Table Mountain
For me the highlight of the day was Table Mountain, a flat-topped mountain overlooking Cape Town. There was unbelievable cloud cover but since it was our last day we decided to go and hope for the best.
Aerial Cableway
After driving up a portion of the mountain and paying for our tickets, we took the aerial cableway up to the top. While waiting for our turn, we watched the cable car before us disappear into the clouds which was a little surreal. It is a circular cable car that spins 360° while it rises. This gives everyone a chance to look around so no need to try to plan out the best spot like we did.
Table Mountain Cable Car
2019 Price: R330 per adult for a morning return ticket (approx. $23) or R290 per adult for an afternoon return ticket (approx. $20)
Table Mountain
Once we got to the top, it was still cloudy enough that you couldn’t see the city below or anything farther than a few feet ahead of you. Slowly though, the clouds dissipated and we had the perfect view. The day before, when the skies were clear all morning, we heard it was a 2-hour or more wait in line for tickets. Due to the weather when we started, there was almost no one there and we walked right up. Very lucky!
The last of the new animals I saw on the trip were dassies (rock hyraxes) at the top of the mountain. They look like a mix between a quokka and a prairie dog.
Our last sight was the top of Signal Hill. From there you can get beautiful views of both Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. There is even a large yellow picture frame for tourists to stand in that will align them perfectly with Table Mountain for a good photo op. The V&A Waterfront also has a yellow frame to highlight the mountain.
Our trip home started with a flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg and then the long 16-hour flight back to Atlanta. Overall, I loved my trip to South Africa and tell everyone I would go back in a heartbeat. There is so much to see and do there. The locals were also very friendly to us.
NOW I definitely want to go to South Africa! Great description and so much to see!
This sounds right up my alley! What incredible views and those penguins are too cute. Thanks for sharing this with us.